By Ron Johnson
The one thing every college football fan love is Rivalry Week. What they love more is that it is not just one week of schools going ham on one another…it is multiple weeks. The showdown starts early this week as there are various schools looking to either get the madness going or continue it depending on who you are paying attention to.
South Carolina vs. 1 Georgia
The Gamecocks started off their season with a loss to North Carolina, but then they rebounded last week against a lower-level school. This weekend, they get a chance to right the ship or sink faster than the Titanic. Their opponent just so happens to be the top school in the nation and looking for a three-peat as National Champions. Experts are saying that Georgia should not take South Carolina lightly as they have had been a thorn in the sides of the Bulldogs in recent memory. However, the Dawgs are up to the task and will be looking to keep shining as they prepare for what could be a tough stretch of games down the road. Georgia should win this one by at least 10, but do not be surprised if they turn the Gamecocks into spring chickens.
10 Alabama vs. South Florida
Both teams are 1-1 coming into this one. Bama is coming off its first double digit loss in the Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa to the Longhorns, who they will see next season as a member of the SEC. If Alabama wants any chance of securing its spot in the SEC Championship Game, they will need to remind themselves why they are there in the first place. As for South Florida, they know what it is like to be the underdogs, and they know how to embrace such a title. While the experts are expecting the Tide to overtake the Bulls (34-point favorites entering today), I am more curious about which version of Alabama will show up for the game today in Tampa.
San Diego State vs. 16 Oregon State
In one of the final showdowns as members of the most likely DELETED Pac-12, the Aztecs and Beavers will collide in Corvallis. With a smashmouth defense to go with their potent offense, Oregon State looks to go 3-0 on the year. The Aztecs are no slouch, though. They look to be turning a huge corner and will have the chance to show what they got against a game Oregon State team.
11 Tennessee vs. Florida
The Volunteers have been madmen all season long. They look virtually unstoppable as they are looking to make a statement for the Top 10 (which they deserve more than Alabama). A win against their rival today should make the case a little more believable. On the other side of the ball, you got the Florida Gators. To put it as nicely as possible, Florida could most likely be looking at a loss in this game as they have been in rebuild mode for the last few years. Gone are the potent offenses and smashmouth defenses of the Gators. But experts have the Vols penciled in as 5.5-point favorites in this game. If the Gators can at least beat one of their rivals this season, it’s a plus in every Gators fan’s books. They’d rather it be a win against Tennessee. But if they cannot contain the ground game of Tennessee, expect the Vols to not only cover but also win big.
Wyoming vs. 4 Texas
The Longhorns had their biggest win of the season when they went into Tuscaloosa and defeated Alabama in impressive fashion. They are now in the top four of the rankings, which is good if they are trying to send a message to the SEC. Now they get a chance to get revenge for the state of Texas as a whole. The reason they get a shot at revenge is because the Wyoming Cowboys shocked the college football world a few weeks ago defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Laramie. It is said that lightning never strikes the same place twice. But just for the sake of argument, what happens if Wyoming makes this a fight for Texas? 30-point favorites? That is a slight reach if you ask me. Wyoming is not trying to be the pushovers anymore.
Colorado State vs. 18 Colorado (Rocky Mountain Showdown)
In one of the biggest tests in The Gospel of Prime, Coach Prime welcomes in their in-state rivals, Colorado State, to Boulder. After a sub-par performance in the first half of last week’s rivalry matchup with Nebraska, the Buffs look to improve on that with a dominating win over the Rams. CSU comes into game having played one game (which was a loss) and haven’t been right since the departure of Jim McElwain a few seasons ago. Shedeur Sanders has been a blessing for the Buffs as he’s been able to air it out and run it out if necessary. And with the eyes of the college football world (Including Lee Corso and The Rock) all on Boulder, it will be on the arm of Sanders, the legs of Dylan Edwards and the clutch of Xavier Weaver that should lead to a Sea of Black at the final gun and the Buffaloes winning this year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown. Maybe Norvell should keep his smack talk to a minimum until his Rams get back to the Isle of Relevancy again. As the Brahma Bull would say: Colorado State should be prepared to get the smackdown laid on them by a different breed of Buffalo tonight.
Florida Atlantic vs. Clemson
A few weeks ago, this game was circled on everyone’s calendar as a must win for the Owls. It turns out this is a must win for both teams involved as Clemson does not look as dangerous as it has in the last few years. After losing big to the Duke Blue Devils in their opener, Clemson found itself getting back to its winning grooves last week. After a huge win over Monmouth in their opening game, FAU’s comeback against Ohio fell a little short with the team playing like the New York Giants in their opener. The only difference between the Giants and the Owls last week? At least the Owls remembered how to score, and their defense remembered how to play. While there are many that feel that Clemson should run away with this one (24.5-point favorites for this game), FAU should be able to make this a game that Clemson will have to earn a win rather than hand them the W on a silver platter. This will be a huge test for both teams as this could set the tone for the remainder of the season.
